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With rolling hills and lush, green woods in the background, expert instructors lead students out into the great blue Pacific for custom surfing lessons. During lessons, wave tamers certified in CPR, first aid, ocean safety, and mermaid diplomacy bestow burgeoning surfers with all necessary skills and ocean awareness, which helps surfers to keep their bearings and tackle whitecaps safely. Surf techniques and etiquette can be tailored to ease rookies into their comfort zones or amped up to challenge and heighten the skills of more experienced boarders.
Tamalpais Surf Club also rents boards and wetsuits for surfers looking to paddle out on their own, and their lending inventory includes vintage boards from renowned shapers. To throw more adventure into the mix, the team organizes yoga-surf retreats and surf camps in exotic locales such as Costa Rica and Hawaii, where groups can immerse themselves in the country's culture, cuisine, and bilingual waves.

Having shot more than 30,000 subjects throughout his career as a photographer, including many Silicon Valley business figures, Eric Gould understands how to create a good photo in any setting. His adeptness at communicating with subjects carries into his photography workshops, where he conveys difficult concepts clearly and methodically, saving students from such rookie mistakes as shooting with the lens cap on or turning the flash on while taking pictures of your imaginary friend's third grade graduation. In his own photo sessions, he frames professional clients in business portraits and headshots, high-school seniors in youthful poses, athletes in midaction, and a wide spectrum of people and places encountered on international travels.

Grab some friends and head on over to Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel for great pub grub.
Cautious diners will appreciate the low-fat and gluten-free fare at Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel.
Enjoy a drink with your dinner — Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel has a full bar to serve up a glass of wine, beer, or more.
Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel is the place to be for a celebratory happy hour.
Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel is the perfect spot to enjoy a great meal outside (weather permitting).
Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel also features live music and dancing.
The restaurant tends to blast tunes over an already rambunctious crowd, so be ready for thunderous noise here.
Prepare to face the crowds if you visit on the weekend — Friday and Saturday are Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel's busiest days.
That's right! Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel will bring their delicious food to your house for any occasion.
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Affordable food or tasty food? Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel doesn't make you choose.

Camp Doodles cares deeply about kids both here and abroad. To help kids abroad, it donates a portion of its annual sales to The Simama Project, which provides housing, food, and education to homeless and at-risk kids in Nanyuki, Kenya.
For kids closer to home, it offers summer-camp day programs with a variety of age-appropriate activities focused on learning and play. Kids might build and launch a real rocket during Space week, don a self-made mask and cape and fight villains during Superhero week, or go on a hunt for buried treasure or Bluebeard's bottle of beard dye during Pirate week.
With its low staff-to-child ratio—about eight campers for every one counselor—Camp Doodles ensures children build meaningful relationships with the counselors, who are often elementary school teachers, early-childhood educators, or students pursuing education degrees. The small groups also encourage friendship between campers.

Meet the Coach: Dave Fromer
Since Dave Fromer established his first soccer programs in the early 1970s, more than 60,000 youth players have dribbled their way through his camps, clinics, and classes. During each one, coaches provide clear instruction while maintaining a positive and fun environment. Here are a few more things to know about the coach:
Accomplishments as a player: He was a collegiate All-American, as well as the captain on the Hakoah U19 Boys U.S. National Championship team.
Coaching experience: He coached boys and girls at Tamalpais High School for 15 years, and he co-founded the Mill Valley Soccer Club in 1976.
Coaching tactics: Dave incorporates music and games into his instruction to keep kids interested and help them learn easier.
Colleagues: Jacki Fromer (wife), Rachel Usher (daughter), and Reed Fromer (son) all hold important positions, making Dave Fromer Soccer a true family business.

Popcorn Media gives kids the chance to experience strutting down the red carpet during their Movie Star workshops and weeklong camps. Attendees soak up the secrets of screen acting from a director who works with Disney and Nickelodeon studios while producing their own unique work. They oversee each production element that goes into a film's creation, from lighting and filming to rehearsing and giving their parents an autograph. At the end of each camp, kids attend a red-carpet premier of their work amid the applause of friends and family.

Groupon Guide

This week, there’s a Litquake reading wherever you look, sand castles spring up on Ocean Beach, Oakland goes to the dogs, short horror films play at The New Parish, and Iliza Shlesinger performs at Cobb’s Comedy Club. As always, check Groupon for more great things to do in San Francisco.
Litquake
Multiple Locations | Saturday, October 11–Saturday, October 18
Litquake honors stories in every way possible: readings, workshops, and, of course, a closing pub crawl through the Mission District. This year’s calendar welcomes special guests such as Marc Maron and Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black. For a laugh, check out Wednesday’s “Readings from the Best-Ever Craigslist Postings.” (ticket prices vary; buy tickets here)
Leap’s 31st Annual Sandcastle Contest
Ocean Beach | Saturday, October 11
Each year, elementary-school students team up with local architects, engineers, and sponsors to build the most impressive sand castle on Ocean Beach, thereby raising funds for Leap's educational art programs. They’ll have four hours to sculpt and carve their creations to suit this year’s theme, “Food, Glorious Food!” (Balboa Street and Great Highway; free; buy tickets here)
Paws on the Square
Oakland | Wednesday, October 15
Paws on the Square gives pups and owners a chance to frolic on the Oakland waterfront. The month-long series, held each Wednesday in October, features canine massages, complimentary dog caricatures, and vendors of pooch-pampering goods. Even if you don’t have a four-legged friend, you can enjoy the fun solo or sign up to adopt a dog of your own. (Jack London Square and Broadway; free)
Scream 2014: East Bay Express’ Horror Film Festival
Oakland | Thursday, October 16
With Halloween on the horizon, East Bay Express and the Oakland Underground Film Festival have conspired to showcase more than 12 frightening indie shorts at The New Parish. The festival runs from 7 p.m. until midnight and also entertains guests with spooky-sexy burlesque performances. (579 18th St.; $10–$12; buy tickets here)
Iliza Shlesinger
Russian Hill | Friday, October 17
Iliza Shlesinger didn’t slow down after becoming the first woman to win NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2008. Since then, she’s hosted a dating reality show, recorded a comedy album, and started a podcast, in addition to performing live. Catch her commentary about dating, television, and all else at Cobb’s Comedy Club on Friday. (915 Columbus Ave.; $22.50; buy tickets here, or save with a Groupon)
Image credits: Litquake images courtesy of Litquake, sand castle photo courtesy of Trevor Mattea, dog photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

This week: gourmet chocolate floods Ghirardelli Square, a kimchi expert teaches you to jar your own cabbage, a pop-up film festival screens nine shorts, the San Francisco Improv Fest enters its second week, and Disney’s leading ladies are on display. As always, check Groupon for more great things to do in San Francisco.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival
Russian Hill | Saturday, September 13, and Sunday, September 14
A ticket to the Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival doesn’t just get you in—it also gets you 15 gourmet chocolate tastings. More than 30 vendors will be offering their sweets to sample, and special events range from chef demonstrations to a messy sundae-eating contest. (Ghirardelli Square, 900 N. Point St.; $20–$40; buy tickets here)
Learn to Make Kimchi
SoMa | Saturday, September 13, and Thursday, September 18
Like your cabbage fermented? Ellen White, owner of Ellen’s Kimchi, will be hosting a class on making your own jar of this famed Korean food, complete with some decorative twine, a label, and a recipe you can use at home whenever that craving strikes. (739 Bryant St.; $50 with a Groupon; buy tickets here)
Future Shorts Film Festival
Nob Hill | Friday, September 19
Future Shorts, a pop-up film festival known for its mold-breaking short films, celebrates summer’s end with nine pieces at Firehouse 8. The films range from the bizarre music video for Bonobo’s “Cirrus” (shown above) to the locally made Typist, about a man and his typewriter navigating a technophile’s world. (1648 Pacific Ave.; $10; buy tickets here)
San Francisco Improv Fest
Financial District | Tuesday, September 16, to Saturday, September 20
The second week of the San Francisco Improv Fest kicks off with Speechless, a show that provides performers with a PowerPoint presentation that they’ve never seen before, and demands that they wow the audience. Also on the schedule: the all-women group Chick Flick, the guitar-toting duo Huge, and 30 Rock’s Scott Adsit. (215 Jackson St.; ticket prices vary based on the event; buy tickets here)
Leading Ladies and Femmes Fatales: The Art of Marc Davis
Presidio | Mondays, Wednesdays–Sundays through November 3
Animator Marc Davis was behind some of Disney’s most memorable women, including Tinkerbell, Maleficent, and Cruella de Vil. This exhibit at the Walt Disney Family Museum showcases these extraordinary ladies and the talent that brought them to life, displaying artwork from Davis’s personal collection in addition to other sources. (104 Montgomery St.; $12–$20; buy tickets here)
Image credits: Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival photo by James Hall Photography, Marc Davis photo courtesy of WDW News Today

San Francisco has an infinite supply of two things: tech startups and out-of-town guests. And if you work at one, you might not have time for the other. So, what do you do when visitors ask for recommendations? You could direct them to the Golden Gate Bridge (again) … or, you could check out these cliché-free suggestions. And, as always, check Groupon for more great things to do in San Francisco.
Beyond Canvas
Why take home a postcard when you can create your own painting of a San Francisco monument? With Beyond Canvas, out-of-towners can spend three hours plein-air painting at an iconic location in the city. They’ll capture some of the gorgeous San Francisco scenery while creating their own souvenir, all under the guidance of a pro. Plus, the materials are legit: students use French easels and specialized brushes.
SideTour
It’s hard to sum up SideTour—it encompasses everything from sailing on the bay to rolling your own sushi. The curated activities are presented by local artisans, chefs, winemakers, and more, so they’re a great way for sightseers to experience San Francisco as a diverse cultural powerhouse.
Cozymeal
If you work nights, and you don’t want to leave your guests fending for themselves at a restaurant, Cozymeal has you covered. Customers visit a local’s home—some hosts are professional chefs, others just like to cook and entertain—where they can break bread, share stories, and learn new cooking techniques themselves.
Nomaders
Nomaders are people who love San Francisco and want to share its secrets with others. They might take your guests out for a killer cup of coffee, a short hike, or drinks at a local speakeasy. Clients can propose ideas for excursions or take a suggestion from the service, but either way, they’ll know more about the city than they did before.
Images courtesy of Beyond Canvas and Nipkon Tran